V-8 radiator upgrade for '62 Ranchero 200

[62Ranchero200]

Greeting Ford Six Fans,

My Ranchero originally came with a 170 and 3-speed on the column. A couple of owners ago, someone upgraded to a 200 and a C-4. The 200 has more potential than the 170, but in Houston traffic and with the 100 degree, 100 percent humidity Houston weather, the two-core radiator that is offered with the 170 wasn't keeping the 200 cool enough. On several of my 30 mile round-trips to the local cruise-in, the Ranchero was pushing 220 degrees, and on two occasions it overheated, although both times I was able to shut it down immediately.

I decided to upgrade to a V-8 radiator - that is, the radiator that would be correct for an early 60's V-8 Ranchero ('63 was the first year for a V-8 in a Ranchero). Dearborn Classics had one, but although the photo on the web site showed the radiator outlet on the driver's side (as is the water pump inlet on my 200), when I received the radiator the radiator outlet was on the passenger side, requiring a 36" lower radiator hose combo (see below).

The V-8 radiator was taller, wider, and a three-core compared to the old two-core. I had to cut the core support quite a bit, basically cutting off the tabs that had mounted the two-core radiator, plus cutting away all but the front of the top and bottom channels of the core support:

[img=http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3120/metalcutfromcoresupport.th.jpg]

After cutting away so much metal, the core support was weakened drastically, so I reinforced it with 1/8" steel at the top and 1/4" steel at the bottom:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/337/newcoresupportreinforce.jpg/

I used two Goodyear flexible radiator hoses connected together with a Jeg's "radiator hose drain" to connect the radiator outlet and the water pump inlet:

[img=http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/9341/36inchradiatorhosecombo.th.jpg]

It forever to get all the hoses, the "radiator hose drain", and the 17" nylon flex fan. I finally got it all installed this weekend:

[img=http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/6479/v8radiatorandnylonflexf.th.jpg]

After I replace a leaky valve cover gasket and some transmission cooler lines, we'll see how much more effectively the larger radiator cools.

Bob the Builder

 

[xctasy]

Aha, the true joy with V8 X-body stuff is that the V8 spec radiator is a great fitment. Nice to see your smart managagement of the bottom hose, as that is the deal breaker with off the shelf radiators.

A little not, when the tall deck 250 came about, the snmall round body radiator replacement technocally needed to get a kick out to allow the tall i6 engine to have its fan slide past the radiator top tank. All Aussie replacement radiators since 1971 destined for a 250 application got this feature.

The position of the lower hose inlets varies on some, normally its bottom driver side inlet , top passenger side out let.

My 1978 XC Falcon was the last of the good old non cross flow radiators. Most Round body and Ranger/Explorer V8 replacement radiators are like these



Spacing from top tank passenger side out let to bottom tank passenger side inlet on mine is 18 inches. Matrix is 2 inch thick, 16 inches tall by 20 inches wide. I specified a uni fit radiator, with four holes just because you never know what Ford is going to change on its 144 to 351 cube engines.

 

[62Ranchero200]

Aha, the true joy with V8 X-body stuff is that the V8 spec radiator is a great fitment. Nice to see your smart managagement of the bottom hose, as that is the deal breaker with off the shelf radiators.

A little not, when the tall deck 250 came about, the snmall round body radiator replacement technocally needed to get a kick out to allow the tall i6 engine to have its fan slide past the radiator top tank. All Aussie replacement radiators since 1971 destined for a 250 application got this feature.

The position of the lower hose inlets varies on some, normally its bottom driver side inlet , top passenger side out let.

My 1978 XC Falcon was the last of the good old non cross flow radiators. Most Round body and Ranger/Explorer V8 replacement radiators are like these



Spacing from top tank passenger side out let to bottom tank passenger side inlet on mine is 18 inches. Matrix is 2 inch thick, 16 inches tall by 20 inches wide. I specified a uni fit radiator, with four holes just because you never know what Ford is going to change on its 144 to 351 cube engines.

Aha, the true joy with V8 X-body stuff is that the V8 spec radiator is a great fitment. Nice to see your smart managagement of the bottom hose, as that is the deal breaker with off the shelf radiators.

A little not, when the tall deck 250 came about, the snmall round body radiator replacement technocally needed to get a kick out to allow the tall i6 engine to have its fan slide past the radiator top tank. All Aussie replacement radiators since 1971 destined for a 250 application got this feature.

The position of the lower hose inlets varies on some, normally its bottom driver side inlet , top passenger side out let.

My 1978 XC Falcon was the last of the good old non cross flow radiators. Most Round body and Ranger/Explorer V8 replacement radiators are like these



Spacing from top tank passenger side out let to bottom tank passenger side inlet on mine is 18 inches. Matrix is 2 inch thick, 16 inches tall by 20 inches wide. I specified a uni fit radiator, with four holes just because you never know what Ford is going to change on its 144 to 351 cube engines.

Where did you find your uni-fit radiator with four holes? Do you just cap off the two holes that you are not using?

I think the placement of the V-8 radiator would allow a 250 to be swapped in without any further radiator adjustments if that is in my future!

Thanks
Bob the Builder

 

[rbohm]

8) one suggestion bob, instead of using long rubber hoses to run the coolant, use some stainless steel exhaust tubing instead for the long straight runs. that way you dont have to hunt down the hoses should they rupture on you.

 

[bubba22349]

Or you could also have the outlets changed to fit at a local Radiator shop. So have you had a chance to test it in the heat yet?

 

[chad]

use some stainless steel exhaust tubing instead

Sounds interesting - how is that "spliced into" (joined) the rest of the system?
Thanx!

 

[xctasy]

Where did you find your uni-fit radiator with four holes? Do you just cap off the two holes that you are not using?

I think the placement of the V-8 radiator would allow a 250 to be swapped in without any further radiator adjustments if that is in my future!

Thanks
Bob the Builder

Its the stock Australian radiator , used on all tall 8.425" deck Argie/Aussie 188/221 from 1968 to 1970 and 9.38" deck200/250 sixes from 1971 to 1978.

Our 200's were short deck till 1967, then there was none, then it became a destroked 250 engine with its tall deck

The XC Falcon 500 I bought in 2003 had a stock radiator, but a 2753 cc 92.5 hp Nissan LD 28 diesel and Datsun 280 Zx non T5 5 speed from a kind of Datsun Maxima type of thing.

The bottom and top hoses were reversed to suit. I had to put a 1980 iron head 250 X-flow back in it at 196280 miles...Then it got an EFI from my 1987 Fairmont wagon. Everything was different between the Ford sixes and the Nissans for hoses, so it was eaiser to have Radiator Services in Dunedin solder and braize. Had a lot of fun making adaptors on that little baby. The Diesel had the more power than the 200 US six for the same year

http://media.photobucket.com/image/XCTA ... C02237.jpg
http://img73.photobucket.com/albums/v22 ... 6e572b.jpg

 

[62Ranchero200]

Or you could also have the outlets changed to fit at a local Radiator shop. So have you had a chance to test it in the heat yet?

Started it up around 7:00 last night and let it idle for about an hour. It warmed up much more slowly than before and seemed to top out at 172 degrees. Of course, it wasn't quite as hot as it would be earlier in the day. I plan to drive it to the local cruise-in today if everything still looks good. I would estimate the new radiator and fan have about twice the cooling capacity of the old combo.

Thanks
Bob the Builder

 

[chad]

"...the new radiator and fan..."
So what did U go with, Bob?

 

[62Ranchero200]

"...the new radiator and fan..."
So what did U go with, Bob?

The Ranchero originally had a two-core radiator and stock 16" four blade steel fan.

I went with a three-core V-8 radiator - that is, the radiator that would be correct for an early 60's V-8 Ranchero; and a 17" nylon six blade flex fan. So far, the car seems to be running much cooler, although I haven't yet been stuck in traffic on a 100 degree day.

Thanks
Bob